That Crimson Tide
by Sergeant Turtle
Summary: Meridian Alternate. 'If Leo hadn't stopped me, I would most certainly have killed him, then waited for the both of you, and you wouldn't have lasted long' Well, I don't know, Donnie… This is what would have happened if the fight on the roof in A&D's final chapter had gone wrong. (Rated T for pretty much everything I rated my other fics T for. I am an evil, evil girl.)


**This… wouldn't stay out of my brain. I'm not sure where it came from, but it began as a 'what if' and ended up as a story. It was too mind-blowing ****_not_**** to write. Warning: violence, blood, emotional distress, mentions of torture, sadness, and character deaths.**

**Disclaimer: Don't own characters contained herein.**

* * *

Don saw his brother turn and draw his sword from where he'd stuck it through the belt of his jeans. _Crud. Get up there, quick – wait, activate the beacon first._

After he'd made sure the emergency beacon was transmitting, Don grabbed his bo-staff and leapt into what could now be reasonably considered a fray. Foot were now swarming all over the roof, carrying swords, tridents, and – his stomach gave a lurch – _guns._ They weren't messing around. They would shoot to kill.

Behind him, a shadowy figure drew a device from his belt, pressing a large button before disappearing into the darkness.

Don felt a strange tingling in his side that spread up his back and down his arms. When the claws shot out of his fingertips, he knew something was wrong. He tried to call out to Leo, but a red mist descended in front of his eyes and the monster took control.

Leo noticed his enemies fleeing a second before a green and purple blur knocked him over. He just had time to register the dilated red eyes behind his brother's mask before pain exploded in his chest as razor-sharp claws sliced the blue fabric of his hoodie and ripped into his plastron.

The world went red.

* * *

Don felt the vampire taking over his body and watched helplessly as it lashed out at the attacking ninja, who fled at some unseen signal, scattering weapons as they ran from the terrifying beast he had become.

Then the monster turned toward Leo, who was watching the fleeing horde with some confusion. Panicking, Don tried to regain control, if only to call out and warn his twin of the danger, but the monster's bloodlust was too strong. He saw his brother turn, eyes widened in shock, a second before ivory claws shredded into Leo's chest, drawing red blood.

So much red, spilling onto the grey concrete.

A gunshot, and a burst of pain as a bullet buried itself in the monster's shoulder. The moment was all Don needed to wrench back control of his body, only to have a kick to the side send him thudding painfully into a nearby wall. Through a haze of pain and tears, he dimly heard two voices – _Raph, Mikey_ – and the sound of a gun being cocked close to his head. _I guess this is it._

He looked up and gulped as he came face to face with the dark barrel of a sidearm and two fiery amber eyes that held nothing but hate and disgust. 'Our brother, Donnie. How could you? You really are nothing but the monster, aren't you?' The cold metal of the gun nudged against his forehead, and the genius turtle trembled as he prepared for the inevitable.

'Raph.'

'Not now, Mikey.'

'Raph… Leo's fading.'

The tone in Mike's voice broke something in Raph. He dropped the gun, which clattered to the ground. 'Get outta here, Donatello. But if ya ever come in my sight again, I _will_ kill you.' Then he turned and walked back to where his eldest brother lay dying in Mikey's arms.

So much red, staining the blue fabric a dark violet.

A choking cry escaped Don's throat and he fled, sliding down a fire escape and into the alley below. He collapsed against a wall as all energy drained out of him, his body racked with dry sobs. 'Oh, gods… Leo… Leo…'

'What a success.'

Don's head snapped up at the familiar voice, so cold and hard, and the blood started to pound in his ears as fear flooded his system. 'Bishop.'

'So, I _have_ created a half-blood vampire whose transformation can be triggered by the flick of a switch. Not to mention the added bonus of accomplishing the impossible – I have unwittingly shattered the seemingly unbreakable bonds of your family. All in all, the experiment has worked out wonderfully. There is just one thing left to do – discover what changes have occurred. What fun.'

Don heard the movement behind him a second too late. An arm hooked round his neck and a hand, clutching a pad of fabric, clamped over his mouth. He struggled briefly before a sickly-sweet smell made itself known and he passed out.

* * *

Raph knelt before the days-old grave, his hand resting on the wooden stave used as a marker. _I'll avenge you, bro. Bishop, the Foot – they'll all pay._ He opened his eyes, the tears still falling, and watched the bloodstained blue mask tails flutter in the light breeze. _Don't worry about Mikey – I'll look after him._

'Raph?'

He turned to see his younger brother approaching. 'They're ready. Time to go.'

Raph's jaw set determinedly. The week after Leo's funeral had been devoted to planning an attack on Foot HQ. With the current leader, Karai, away in Japan, and Bishop hiding out in the tower somewhere, it seemed like the perfect time to exact vengeance. 'Let's go then.'

He looked back at the grave one last time, then got to his feet and followed his brother to the van, parked in the farmhouse garage. April and Casey met them there, their faces grim. 'Ready?'

'As we'll ever be.'

'Well then – for Leo.'

'For Leo.'

As they entered the city for the first time in a week, the group of four was silent, adrenaline running high as they thought on the task ahead. Mikey fingered his nunchakus nervously while Raph stared out the window, fists clenched so tight they turned pale.

April watched them in the rear-view mirror, her thoughts focused on one thing – the look on Bishop's face when he was faced with the weapons of two vengeful turtles. She was looking forward to perhaps breaking his nose herself. Or his arm, if she could get to it first. Beside her, Casey's gaze was fixed on the road, hands gripping the steering wheel as similar thoughts ran through his mind.

The van came to a stop near the gates, and its passengers disembarked. Scaling the wall, they dropped down onto an unsuspecting group of Foot Ninja, who were subsequently knocked out, tied up and shoved behind a pile of crates. Raph led the way across the courtyard, stopping briefly to avoid another group of ninja. April hacked the lock on the door and they entered the lower levels.

A handy map showed the scientific area to be levels 20 to 30, with the main labs on 26.

'That's where Bishop is most likely to be,' said Raph as they stepped into an elevator. 'Hopefully security won't notice all those camera loops 'til he's dead.'

'Tell you the truth,' Mikey replied, 'I don't care when they spot us – as long as we get to where we're going.'

* * *

The elevator stopped on level 26, and seven scientists got in, riding down to level 23 while discussing frogs as a reliable analogue.

In the shaft, four figures entered an air vent and began to make their way past the security checkpoint. Fifteen minutes of claustrophobia later, they left the vent and continued down the halls, avoiding guards and the occasional scientist.

As they drew near to the centre, Mikey noticed that some of the doors became more reinforced. Then they found several with small hatchways in them. 'Prison cells? On the science level?'

'Some of Bishop's "experiments", no doubt,' said April with disgust. 'Poor things.'

'We should help them,' replied Mikey, his blue eyes grave. The others agreed, and set about opening doors. Five of the occupants were still living, and, after thanking the foursome, left to make their way out through the elevator shafts.

Raph watched them go, then turned to the others. 'You go on ahead; there's somethin' I want ta check. I'll catch up in a minute.' The three nodded affirmation and left. Raph sighed and turned toward one of the cell doors. He had lied about its occupant being dead. Opening the door, he took a step inside. 'Door's open. You can stay or go – your choice.' Then he turned and ran to catch up to his team.

Bleary, sunken brown eyes looked up from under a violet mask to watch him leave.

* * *

Raph knew he looked shaken as he rejoined the others – the expressions of concern on their faces were enough. He waved them off, but something kept eating away at him. Perhaps it was the shock, or the fact that he hadn't been able to bring himself to do what he'd said he would. Seeing Donatello in the dank, bloodstained cell – pale, thin, and bearing the marks of torture – had frozen him, unsure of what to do. Then he had remembered something Leo had once said to him.

'_Sometimes, Raph, doing the right thing will go against all that you think you ought to do. In the end, you will have to decide which path will give you more peace in the long run._'

And Raph's brain had decided that it didn't like seeing _anyone_ tortured and dissected, and had let vengeance slide for now. He and Donatello would meet again, and Raph would make sure that the other turtle knew exactly what the hothead thought of him. But until then, the genius was out of the way.

The team headed toward the central laboratory and knocked down the door, only to be faced with several lab-coated technicians and a small contingent of guards. Raph cursed and signalled the attack. The fight that followed was short and brutal, with many of the guards receiving fatal injuries.

So much red, stark against the white walls.

A quick questioning of some rather terrified scientists revealed that Bishop had gone to one of the top floors. A stun grenade later and they were all unconscious, while the foursome returned to the air vents and made their way to another lift shaft.

* * *

Riding on top of a lift was a lot more nerve-racking than being inside it, thought Casey as they watched the numbers on the walls flash past. On level 57, they finally decided to open the emergency hatch, jumping down into the empty lift.

Muzak played.

The lift hit level 65. Top floor.

The corridors here were dark greys and reds, in contrast to the antiseptic laboratories. April shivered as they snuck past cases of all-too-familiar armour and weapons.

A thud behind her made her turn, to be met with a horrifying sight. She cried out, alerting the others, and ran to where Mikey lay curled on the floor coughing up blood. Raph fell to his knees beside his baby brother, trying desperately to find the source of Mikey's injury.

So much red, trickling over green skin.

Then – a small dart, embedded in the back of the younger turtle's left shoulder. _Poison…_ Mikey gave a sudden shudder and went limp, the blue eyes glazing over, lifeless.

An anguished cry tore out of Raph's throat and he collapsed sobbing to the floor, cradling the cold, dead, body in his arms. April broke down, and Casey, tears flowing freely down his face, knelt and gently closed the orange-clad turtle's eyes.

Nobody moved for a long time, until Raph finally spoke, his voice from crying. 'Stay here. Look after… the body,' he choked out. 'I'm goin' after Bishop, an' I won't let him take you two as well.' He stood up, fists clenching around the handles of his weapons, the tears still shining on his cheeks and his brown hair unkempt. 'If I'm not back in an hour…'

The sentence hung in the air unfinished, and Raph turned and ran down the dark corridor.

* * *

Bishop was enjoying a rare moment of silence, taking leisure time on the top floor, until the door burst open and two unconscious guards landed heavily on the floor, followed by an enraged red-masked turtle, who wasted no time in engaging in a heated skirmish with the contingent of guards that sprang out of hiding. A strike across the back of the knees sent Raph sprawling, and it was all Bishop needed to grab a fallen blade. As Raph jumped to his feet, the scientist ducked the swipe of a sai and scored a long slash across the turtle's abdomen, followed by a stab to the shoulder.

Raph went down again, collapsing to all fours. Bishop smirked and drew a gun from his belt, loading and cocking it in a single movement. 'The last one. I really have earned this.'

A blur of movement, and a staff cracked down onto Bishop's hand, causing him to drop the gun and turn to face a snarling Donatello, who wanted payback - big time. With a silent truce agreed upon, the two turtles launched an attack on the remaining guards, not breaking stride when another group rushed into the room. Raph ploughed relentlessly through them, but exhaustion was creeping in, and he knew he'd lost too much blood. He knocked down the last of the guards, noticing that Don was weakening fast and losing focus.

Raph heard the click and flinched at the sound of the gunshot. But there was no burning pain, no rush of blood, no sudden darkness. He turned slowly, and his eyes widened in shock.

Donatello stood between him and Bishop's raised gun, finally crumpling to the wooden boards below their feet, his blood pooling around him.

So much red, seeping between the minute cracks.

With a cry of rage, Raph leapt forward - grief and anger giving him one last burst of energy - and buried his sais full length in the scientist's heart. Bishop choked and fell to the ground, sunglasses clattering away across the floor.

The red-masked turtle looked down at his fallen enemy, feeling the darkness gather at the edges of his own vision. He fell to his knees. It was over. Now he could sleep. Never-ending sleep… no, wait. There was still something he had to do.

'Raph? A-are you st-still there?' Don coughed, ragged breaths burning through his lungs. Raph crawled to the genius' side, ignoring the pain that lanced through him with every movement. 'I'm here, Donatello.' He placed a trembling hand over the bullet wound in the purple-clad turtle's chest. 'Jeez, Don. Whatcha do that for, huh? I wuz horrible to ya - called ya nothin' but a monster…'

'I know. But I didn't hate you for it, Raph. You were right anyway. What I did was unforgivable.'

Harsh, choking sobs racked the genius' body, and Raph felt tears trickling from his own eyes as he saw once again not the monster, but the brother who had been lost to it. 'Oh, Donnie…'

'I won't see you again, Raph. Not where I'm going. _Kami_, I'm so scared… I didn't want to be scared of death, but I am… because I know where it ends up for all monsters. For me… Raph, I'm so scared! Everything's gone dark, it's too cold!'

Don's unseeing eyes were wide, terrified, and Raph couldn't stand it any longer. 'It's okay, Donnie,' he soothed, 'you don't have to be scared. I'm right here.' He gathered the scarred, wasted and bleeding form of his brother into his arms, gently stroking Don's ragged black hair until he felt a shudder run through the purple-masked turtle, and he knew that Don had passed into the void.

Darkness claimed him, and he let go.

* * *

Raph woke in the torch-lit corridor of Limbo, its two archways beckoning. A sob at his feet caught his attention, and he looked down to see Don, injuries still apparent in the waiting-room of the afterlife. 'Go, Raph. Go to the light. They'll come to take me. Go.' He stood and looked toward the portal of darkly burning fire as two dark demons emerged from it.

Don trembled as the shadow beings approached, their eyes burning into his soul and bringing forth the hated memory. A frightened whimper escaped him as a dark tentacle wrapped around his arm and began to drag him toward the dark archway. At first he didn't struggle, but as the hellfire drew near, the fear began to take hold and Don panicked, calling out for his brother, though he was sure Raph had already crossed into the light.

He could feel the heat of the inferno upon him.

The end was near. He struggled desperately, futilely.

Then strong arms pulled him and everything went white.

* * *

'Donatello.'

'No, no, no,' he moaned. Was this some torture reserved for traitors - to hear their own name and loathe it?

A furred hand landed on his forehead, and he cringed. What denizen was this that had volunteered to be his first tormentor?

But… that touch… that voice…

He opened his eyes, and a shocked expression crossed his face. 'W-what…'

'Donatello, my son, do not fear. You are safe.'

'S-sensei?' he whispered, his voice catching as his father helped him to his feet. 'But - the demons…'

'Your brother refused to let them take you - at great risk he pulled you from the arms of darkness and brought you to safety. They cannot reach you here.'

Don looked around. He was in a room not unlike the one Splinter had used in the lair, with the exception of it being a little lighter. His father beckoned, and they walked through the door and into the dappled sunlight of a forest. Splinter noticed the incredulous look on his scientifically-minded son's face and chuckled. 'Suspend your disbelief for now, my son. There are those who wish to see you.'

As if on cue, they rounded a bend in the path and came upon Raph destroying practise dummies on what appeared to be a dojo floor. Don hesitated, but Raph, in total contradiction to his character, walked right up and hugged him. 'Welcome to paradise, bro.'

'Guess I should thank you.'

'Ah, you know I wouldn't have let 'em take ya.'

The genius returned his brother's grin and felt a tear track down his cheek. He raised a hand to wipe it away, but Raph beat him to it before smiling again and returning to the 'dojo'.

The sound of wheels rolling on concrete caught Don's attention, and he turned to see a curved footpath assemble out of nowhere, cutting across the clearing. Another joyful tear broke free as he saw his baby brother coming out of the forest. Mike let out a whoop of exhilaration as he skateboarded along the path, his eyes brightening as he caught sight of his genius brother. 'Dude, you're awake! Welcome back to the land of the afterliving!'

Another hug and Don felt the shell of grief around his heart crack a little more. The he noticed the three members of his family look behind him, and Mikey whispered, 'Turn around, Donnie.'

He did so, and that hard covering shattered and fell away.

The forest behind him had morphed into a pristine jungle with animals of all kinds moving through the trees. And at the edge of the clearing stood one he thought he'd never see again. Tears running freely, he flew into his brother's embrace, feeling the gentle, familiar arms holding him, then hearing the long-lost voice in his ear.

'Hey, Donnie.'

'Hey, Leo.'

And he buried his face in his elder twin's shoulder, basking in the love and forgiveness pouring off him. Dimly he felt two other pairs of arms go around his thin and trembling form - his younger brothers.

And he knew he was home.

* * *

**(sniffles) Like I said, I have no idea where it came from… excuse me while I go cry in a corner somewhere…**


End file.
